Respite care is a form of out-of-home care used to provide short-term accommodation for children and young people, where the intention is always that the child or young person will return to their usual home after a short period.

Respite placements include:

Respite from birth family: This is where a child is placed in out-of-home care on a temporary basis for reasons other than child protection. In some instances, the child’s parents may be ill or unable to care for them on a temporary basis. In other cases, the respite is used as a family support mechanism to prevent the child from having to enter into full-time out-of-home care. It can also be part of a reunification process, or as a shared-care arrangement.

Respite from out-of-home placement: This is where a child spends regular, short and agreed periods of time with another carer other than their primary carer.